Punjab: Farm unions queering the pitch for BJP

Ruchika M Khanna & Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Amritsar, May 31

“We will not relent, and continue to oppose the BJP on the polling day,” farmer unions, under the aegis of Samyukt Kisan Morcha, declared today. Messages have been flashed to members of all 32 farmer unions, asking them to “keep in mind the sacrifices made by 750 farmers” who died during the year-long farmers’ struggle on the borders of Delhi, between November 2020 and November 2021, when they go to cast their votes.

Potential BJP voters being approached

• In Amritsar, farmer leaders were talking to those who could vote for the BJP, asking them not to do so, said Rattan Singh Randhawa of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha
• They said they would keep a watch to ensure that BJP men did not lure the poor
• Sarwan Singh Pandher of the KMSC said BJP leaders were threatening to “see” farmers after the poll. So they had no choice but to ensure that BJP candidates lost, he added

While the SKM, in keeping with its commitment of remaining apolitical, has not asked farmers to vote for any political party, one of its bigger constituent unions, Kirti Kisan Union, has flashed messages to all its members to vote for the nearest political rival of the BJP, and “teach them a lesson”. Even the SKM (Non Political)-Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee has asked farmers to close the “Nafrat ki Dukaan” during this poll.

Talking to The Tribune, SKM senior leader Dr Darshan Pal said they were not asking farmers to vote for any political party. “Exercising their franchise is their choice. We are only asking them to oppose the BJP. During a meeting of the SKM last night, we decided to send letters to the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Justice of India, with a copy to the President of India and civil society groups, to remain vigilant against any untoward incident, where the votes could be manipulated,” he said. “We will be vigilant against any manipulations in forming the government, either through early declaration of results, where there is a close contest, or through manipulations on EVMs. We will also oppose horse-trading after the declaration of results.”

The Kirti Kisan Union, many leaders of which were detained by the police for confronting BJP candidates during campaigning in Punjab, has asked its members to use their “buddhi ate vivek” (wisdom) while casting votes.

Union secretary Raminder Singh said messages had been sent to their cadres, urging them not to indulge in any “partybaazi” and “punish” the BJP. “We have asked them to vote for either the Congress or AAP, whosoever is the closest rival of the BJP candidate in any constituency,” he said.

As the country started preparing for the General Election, farmer unions, under the aegis of the SKM and the SKM (Non-Political)-Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), began preparing to counter the BJP. While the SKM (Non-Political) and KMSC have been staging protests at the state’s borders with Haryana for over 100 days, the SKM constituents have been confronting BJP candidates with questions on “unkept promises of legal guarantee on MSP and debt waiver”.

Ever since the announcement of General Election, farmer unions have held around 240 protests against BJP candidates in all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies as well as against the party top guns, including PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.